Shutter lock for roll-film cameras



P. F. BEAULIEU.

SRUUER LOCK FoR RoLL FILM CAMERAS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 1921.

Patented Apr. 18', 1922.

*2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

v -W/TNESSES P. F. BEAULIEU.

SHUTTER LocK FoR ROLL HLM CAMERAS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24| 1921.

` UNITED STATES PATENT y OFFICE.

YEETEE. EEANK BEAULIEU, OE BEND, OREGON, AssIGNoE OE ONE-HALE troRUTHEE- EOED H. LOOEOE nEsoiinfrEs COUNTE,A OREGON.

SHUTTER LOCK FOR ROLL-FILM CAMERAS.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, PETER FRANK BEAU- LrEU, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a residentof Bend, in the county of Deschutes and State ofOregon, have invented a new and Improved Shutter Lock `for Roll-FilmCameras, of which the following is ja description.

An object of the invention is to provide a lock for theshutter-operating means and a latchacting to prevent the release of thelock, and itself subject to the turning of the film roll forfthe releaseof kthe lock, the latch being adapted to assume its-latched positionwithout being dependent on a predetermined point of stoppage of the lmspool after making a complete revolution.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel ymeans forthrowing the latch to latching position with the operation of theshutter to be subject to release by the deliberate turning of the filmroll.

More specifically, the invent-ion has for an objectvto provide akstructural embodimentkof the'invention, Ymaking Jfor precision inoperation. f

Reference is to be hadV to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specication, it being understood thatthe drawings are merelyillustrativeoi one example of the invention.

Figure 1V is a sectional elevation of a device embodying my inventionshowing' the same applied toa camera illustrated in part;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the.

operating means 'of the shutter lock with one of the pistons in sideelevation and one in a section;

Figure 3 is a partly sectional elevation of the devices as showninFigure 2, a portion of the cylinder and the two pistons being inelevation;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Figure 2 Figure 5 is an enlargeddetail horizontal section on the line 5-5, Figure 2.

In Figure 1 a portion of a camera is designated at A, B indicating theend of the spool having the usuall slot b to receive the locking memberof the usual spool-turning handle (not shown); and C indicates thesheathed flexible cable controlling the shut-l kSpecification of LettersPatent Patented AAPP. 18, 1922 Application filed February 24, 1921.Serial No. 447,378.

spring surrounding the cable within said housing. The housing 10 isscrewed as at 11 into the forward end of a cylinder 12, the rear endofwhich is closed by a suitable cap plate 13 held in place by a screw 14or the like. Operating in the cylinder 12 and extending through the rearend thereof is a plunger 15 having a piston 16 thereon within saidcylinder V12.

Screwed also to the front end of the cylinder 12 is a housing 17 inwhich operates a plunger 18 having a piston 19 operating in the cylinder12 in front of the piston 16, the plunger 15 of thepiston 16 passingfreely through a hole 20 in the piston 19 so that the latter may beslidable relatively to said plunger 15.

From the front end of the plunger 18 extends a sheathed cable 21, aportion of which cable adjacent to the opposite end has guidedlongitudinal movement in a l'rame or housing 22 in ixed position withinthe camera A ata side thereof. A coil spring 23 surrounds the cable 21within the housing 22 and abuts at its rear end against a collar 24 onthe cable and at its front end against the housing 22 tending to retractthe cable after movement by the lunger 18.` The cable 21 carries at itsterminal beyond the housing 22 a resilient latch 24 having the catchprojectionf25 thereon adapted to engage on a fixed member 26 which maybe part oit the iframe 22. With the catch 25 in latcliing engagementwith the part 26 the iront end of thelatch 24 extends adjacent` to afixed lug 27 on the spool BJ Secured to the spool B to turn therewith isa spring 28, here shown as formed of a short lengthV of wire secured atone end as at 29 to the spool and formed with a loop 30 which also issecured tothe spool B as lat 31. The free end of the spring 28 isadapted to engage the lug 27 at the opposite side from the latch 24. f fy The piston 16 is adapted to be engaged by a locking spring 32 disposedin a longitudinal slot 33 in the side of said cylinder and: rabbetted atits rear end to present a lug oi' flange 34 anda shoulder 35 adapted to-xtend over the front of the piston 16 for preventing 'forward movementoit the said piston. The lock 32 is integral with a spring 36 secured asat 37 by screws oi' the like to the cylinder 12 at theA exterior. Thecamera having been loaded7 as usual7 the locking means described will beready to malte an exposure. rit this time both the pistons 16 and 19will be at the rear end ot the cylinder 12 as shown in Figures 2 and 3and the movement or' said piston 19 to a position adjacent the rear endof the cylindcr will have engaged the lock 32 and flexed the samelaterally outward from in iront oi' the cylinder 16, thereby leavingsaid cylinder 16 tree to be moved forward by a forward pressure on thepushbutton 15" ot the plunger Upon the button 15 being pressed theplunger 15 will move -torwardly carrying with it the pistons 16 and 19.The forward movement of the piston 16 will release the shutter and theforward movement of the piston 19 will, through the tlexible cable 21,move the latch 211 to the latching position or" Figure 1, intoengagement with the iixed part 26 andwith its end adjacent to the lug27. Upon release or the pushbutton 15 and plunger 15, the spring c willcarry said plunger and the pi ton 16 to the rear of the cylinder 12 andcause said piston 16 to be automatically engaged by the lock 32, so thatthe plunger 15 cannot again be moved forwardly to cause a doubleexposure until the piston 19 is returned to the rear end ot' thecylinder adjacent to the piston 16 to bring about the disengagement ofthe lock 32. The piston 19 Yis prevented 'from rearward movement toiTard the piston 16 and lock 32 because the latch 241- is engaged withthe partV 26. The latch 211 will, however, be released when theI spool Bis turned and with it the spring 2S, said spring riding over the lug 27and tripping the latch 24: stressing the same laterally to disengage itscatch 25 from the part 26, whereupon the spring 23 will retract thelatch 211, cable 21, andplunger 13 and piston 19, causing the latter tomove rearwardly and disengage the lock 32.

That end 18 oiE the plunger 18 which is secured to piston 19 may, asshown, be separate from the remainder oit the plunger.

The latch 24: is tree to move forwardly to the 'forward position uponthe next :forward movement oi the pushbutton 15a and plunger 15 withoutbeing dependent on a given predetermined stoppage ot the spool B aftermaking a complete revolution.

I provide'manually operable means to optionally release the lock 32 -fortime exposure when desired, for which purpose use is made of a shortspindle 38 having a pointer 39 outside ot the cap 13, said spindleextending through the cap and forwardly into the material of thecylinder 12, the iront end oit said spindle having an oil-center linger40 which, by the turning or the spindle, is adapted to engage the finger34C on the loclr 32 to 'flex said lock to the release position and ontot control relation to the piston 16. Figure elf shows in tull lines thepointer 39 ol spindle 3S in the position oit the spindle forinstantaneous and bulb exposures with the locl: 32 -functioning. Thedotted lines in Figure et indicate the pointer 39 in position for timeexposure in which positionoil the pointer the lock 32 will beinopera'tlve.

rIhe spindle 39 is shown as held against longitudinal displacement whilepermitted to turn by reason of a screw 11 in the side of the cylinderengaging at its inner end in an annular groove L12 in said spindle.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated exampleconstitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limitmyself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, sincemanifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure fromthe spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination with theshutter-controlling means ot a camera and the operating means therefor,oit a latch for said operating means, spring-pressed latch-releasingmeans tending to move to a position to release the latch, means torestrain the latchreleasing means from moving to release position, andtrip means for said restrainmg means, said trip means adapted to bemounted on a camera spool to turn therewith.

2. In combination with a camera'shutter controlling means and theactuating means therefor: a lock to prevent said actuating means 'frombeing operated, means tending to disengage the lock 'from the actuatingmeans, latch means to restrain the lastmentioned means from acting onthe lock, means to release the latch means, said last means beingadapted to be mounted to turn with a film spool of the camera, and meansoperable by the shutter-actuating means to restore said locleengagingmeans and latch means.

3. In a camera, the combination with the shuttercontrolling means, itsactuating means and a film spool of the camera; oit a loclr for saidactuating means, lock-releasing means operable by said actuating meansto move said lock-releasing means away 'from the lock, means tending toactuate said lockreleasing means to release the lock, means to restrainsaid lock-releasing means and its actuating means, a trip for therestraining means turnable with said spool, said restraining means beingmovable in a direction to restore the same by the first-mentionedactuating means and being movable to a. restored position independentlyof any 4given movements of the iilm spool beyond a complete revolution.

4t. In a device of the class described, a cylinder, a piston therein, aplunger carrying said piston and extending to the exterior of thecylinder' ttor manual operation, a flexible cable subject to themovements of said the shutter-controlling mechanism of a camera, asecond piston in advance of the firstmentioned piston, a flexible cablesubject to the operations of said second piston, a spring tending to acton said second flexible Vcable to move the second piston toward thefirst piston, a latch on the second cable, means to engage said latchfor restraining said cable against the action of said spring, trip meansadapted to be secured to a film spool of the camera to turn therewith,and a lock for the firstmentioned piston to prevent movement thereof for`operating the shutter, said lock being releasable by the second pistonin moving toward the first piston.

5. A camera attachment of the class described ncludng a cylinder, apiston therein, a plunger carrying said piston and operative from theexterior of the cylinder, means subject to said plunger and adapted forconnection With the shutter-controlling means of a camera, a secondpiston in said .cylinder movable toward or from the first piston, a lockfor the first-mentioned piston controlled by a movement of the secondpiston'toward the first piston, means 'to actuate the second pistontoward the first piston for releasing the lock and permit the pistons tomove forwardly in response to a forward movement of said plunger,restraining means for the actuating `means of the second piston, andmeans adapted to be mounted on a spool of the `camera for tripping saidcontrolling means by a turning movement of the spool.

PETER FRANK BEAULIEU;

